Opinion Journal: Just Like Eric Holder

1/29/2015 1:00PM

Day two of Loretta Lynch's nomination hearing for U.S. Attorney General. Plus, why the President’s notion of economic ‘fairness’ is a fantasy, state college savings initiatives, and more on the attempt to free Kenji Goto from ISIS.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... you're not Eric older or ... New Mexico ... no one suggesting that you are but of course ... attorney General Holder's record is ... heavy on our minds now ... welcome to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel present Obama as nominee for attorney general ... Loretta land she saw a clip of her ... being questioned by the Senate yesterday she said she's nothing like ... the current office holder Eric Holder ... truth or fiction ... Heritage Foundation senior legal analyst Hans von Spakovsky joins me from Washington cons ... let's just go down the list ... where does Miss Lynch stands but start on immigration ... one issue to give the president's executive order ... he thinks is perfectly reasonable within his authority although ... I guess that's just about had a case around the room together to finally answer his questions about that ... okay so she's was all there on that issue how about the NSA ... and surveillance that the meditated and controversy ... she didn't seem to have any problems with what the administration is doing in that area it's ... ok to refer to spot on voting rights ons ... he made very clear and she's done it past age is that ... the war on voter ID the war on election integrity the holder has conducted that she intends to continue to do that same sex marriage ... she also made it clear that that ... that she does not disagree with Holder's decision not ... to defend their ... own state laws and federal laws on that issue ... while I'm I'm grasping at straws here times what doesn't she agree with ... II era where she not in lockstep with Mr holder ... well the only thing that I sign in the eight hours for the hearings yesterday was that she said she disagree ... on legalization of marijuana and that she did not they ... as Obama has said that is not any different from ... from drinking but other than that ... I really didn't see a dimes worth of difference between her and Eric Holder interviews on on all kinds of issues so why is the Republican led Congress and likely to confirm her ... well I don't I don't frankly understand why they wanna go for it with an outfield Jeff sessions is said that he can vote for her ... idea as Senator Grassley has said he hasn't yet been convinced but others like ... Senator Grassley ... towards Senator Lindsey Graham ... clearly the vote for I think it's a mistake ... for them to do that because they're basically going to get a a lighter ... more Sobel version of Eric holder ... is a mistake The Alonzo or when Republicans will really be lambasted ... by in the media in particular for ... being obstinate the party of no if they didn't vote to confirm or ... now though as I think they can point to the fact that that the very unconstitutional actions taken by the press on immigration which is a real abuse of is the second authority ... she thinks that's perfectly okay ... Senator Cruz you know yes they tried to get her to say what could the president not do ... anything and she refused to answer that question that means ... that there's no way in the next two years ... that she's going to anything that the present wants to do no matter how use of the visitors Authority say she refused to give her interviewers a straight answer ... sounds like a good lawyer to me Heritage Foundation's Hans bonds the county ... thanks for joining us ... thank you ... president Obama toward the country recently touting this economic message ... at what middle-class economics ... the idea that ... this country does best ... when everybody gets a fair shot ... everybody's ... doing their fair share ... and I was planned by the same summer rolls ... Dan Henninger joins meet and what is middle-class economics ... middle-class economics ... I think Mary is basically Peter Pan economics ... Peter Pan was the imaginary figure who told people that if you bought lovely thoughts you would be able to fly ... and the president is running around the country telling people they can have everything and be lifted up ... if he will put this simply sign up to these policies appears ... two examples though shows the imagination than the reality ... the idea that he was going to propose free community college for everybody ok ... now what does he mean by free community college ... for this is sort of like taking Tinkerbell pixie dust just ... not there and everyone gets a free ride ... networking propose something Rio which was to tax these five twenty nine college savings accounts ... the idea was that during distribution periods people would be taxed on those distributions ... the real middle class went into such a state of revolt that a the White House folded back be even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cut six grandchildren Assembly ... reportedly said the White House you got it back off from this the idea that tax middle-class savers culture it that that is true that back trouble on the five to nine plants but the president continues to go around the country ... touting this middle-class economics lines ... we want to push this message you know I think the real reason is ... political not he ... know how they do opinion polls and the economy has strengthened in the last couple quarters but we've been through six years of of very weak economy during the Obama presidency ... unprecedented unemployment people dropping out ... and I think the middle class does feel as though it is than typical under the Obama presidency to rise ... and he is essentially created a kind of dog eat dog world out there ... and under those circumstances people start thinking about ... like not being there when you think might isn't very star looked around for somebody to grab something from ... that is basically what Brock Obama is proposing ... you people are getting screwed to find in attacks these people over here and try to help you ... now I think that that that the end of the day most Americans understand ... that life cannot work that way that that is not true definition of parents well it's not just Democrats who are touting this message Dan out Mitt Romney the former Massachusetts governor and ... eighty three time presidential candidate ... I said this week and I quote ... the rich have done historically well I'm concerned about the middle class and pour in this country ... is in fact the same rhetoric in ... class warfare ... you know I think he's singing from the same hymnal you know the idea that it's almost a Marxist idea that America is divided up into these classes the middle class here the upper middle class here the rich here ... I mean most Americans I think understand the basic idea of work ... if you go to a job every day you have an employer ... and ... historically the employer because he puts in all the capital and in the investment is going to make more money than his workers that is the wealthy and the rich ... most people I think are not upset about a system like that it's ... if it's working if employers are able to create ... an companies ... which hire people and give them employment to feed their families but that is not with the Republicans are talking about right now there's sort of playing on Brock Obama is playing field ... of how low can the government make it all Kemal right ... it's a losing strategy that is a losing strategy Wonderland Columnist and Henninger pastry much to ... the new IDF for education savings accounts is sweeping the state's anti about it next ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... present Obama has backed doubled from his plan to tax certain kinds of CDs accounts ... meanwhile the state to come up with a far better idea to help parents pay ... for the kids count educations ... cold waters to education director John Butcher are joins me now like John ... what are education savings accounts in the States ... well we used the school choice we use to think well let's find the best place for our child goes call ... your local school or a charter school or private school or some families even ... choose to homeschool ... with an education savings account you can take ... of public money and put it in a private account that parents can control ... to buy educational products and services for their children ... private schools Commission ... AKP to during ... these special education therapy ... textbooks even save for college or pay costs which ... now are two states that these accounts already Arizona and Florida ... but they're a lot of other states are considering them right ... it's really sightings National school choice we ... it's exciting to be talking about Virginia where they have no pass of the subcommittee there ... I don't need another noting that the full committee ... in ... Mississippi Senate committee passed a bill ... there's already activity happened in Oklahoma ... as well as Iowa ... and nine and several other states have had expressed interest in and so were were excited for this chance ... to really be thinking about learning to read that twenty for Sentry ... activity and not just picking a place ... to go to school while it doesn't sound like a partisan issue you either because you mention Virginia ... Governor by Democrats I know that Nevada is also looking at the so-called ESA is covered by ... force or Republican Governor Brian Sandoval ... by is this a trend there were continuing to see in school choice ... I did that isn't partisan that it's both sides the aisle sporting ... well I think the ... over the years we've seen that school choice programs help with graduation rates ... they help students not only go to college but persisting Collins ... made a really quality high school education ... than because of the school choice program ... so when you see results like this these are things we want for every child credit should be easy ... it can be something we can all agree on that every child should have a chance ... at re education and they are happy in a local school that's really the fact is though is that not every school ... is the perfect place ... rate for the children are going to it you are all different they need something unique well the TSA is no fix the fundamental problem which is the rising cost of to wish and I ... well it's really not with ... college tuitions ... if you compare students debtor for whatever standard on ex players trade school ... or college than they have to take remedial classes rank then they'll have to stay longer like ... to extend their college career to finish the credits that we can get it repaired in K twelve ... which hasn't been happening in the traditional system for thousands of students ... why education savings accounts can help both students in K twelve ... and went to college ... well it's another example of the innovation at the state level not in Washington ... Goldwater Institute education director John Butcher thanks very much ... thank you ... more to come on opinion Journal State team ... the fate of a Japanese hostage being held hostage by ISIS ... is that is a major repercussions back in Tokyo ... American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Ostling is also a columnist for it the beest dot com ... joins me now my collect Kenji Goto ... by Japan is not negotiating directly for his release why ... in his hand terrorists ... before and they have ... at times ... negotiated ... but this time Mr are you really have a lot of us to be seen lockstep ... with his Western partners including the United States ... BC is going was getting into terror so ... if something can work out that it's looking less and less likely that the Jordanians that's reason to go so ... it's when you get it done in the eighties got one of these two hostages back ... the ... best and look pretty good it while he's experiencing a lot of political blowback engine and Michael wat why are people so upset there ... well you know who thinks this is still lingering ... it's a ... question and just how engaged in the world shouldn't be in the Americas was all that will work to sch ... how much you can easily double that were killed in an active role wants to ... the ... forward ... is deposited in ... the car ... look bigger and bolder all ... the major around the world Ch inheritances even though this is too dangerous he will happen ... in the Japanese themselves in harm's way ... and that ... they ... ended the half to be happening it's happening and ... what rules say that it can ... mean were you can have a lot less world sch and in the ... day just to make an ... less and ... less able to protect its own interests Michael went a step and going to wait out because ... but aside from this aises hostage crisis that threatened by China that threatened by North Korea ... were pulling back from their part of the world in what is Econa take ... it for them to to to really ... embrace reality ... sch well my son and I think I'm ... starting from criticism that he thinks he is increasing reality ... increasing the defense budget is talking about keeping the lights the United States ... reaching out to new countries of creating the defense of our hands up when it hit ... the stores in Australia reaching out to other nations in Southeast Asia ... dad is ... doing it but that the lure of pacifism sch ... tradition that you can now be engaged I have no real military ... it does but it doesn't say a CEO still very strong so this is ... I think we are watching in the news this is the national debate ... over when to those who say it is a must be our global world ... this is a you know I ... work in the past for us to withdraw more let's try it again ... it's a it's can be a very long contentious at all that is the larger question but for now our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Goh and his family ... in enterprises to Michael awesome things Fitch or ... is ... it ... in fall is on Twitter or email us at Opinion Journal live at WSJ dot com ... I'm Mary Kissel with The Wall Street Journal editorial board ... thanks for watching ...